When MF DOOM (“All Caps when you spell the man’s name” – Madvillainy) umm…dropped his album last week, I may have been the only member of the Crew that was jumping for joy.

There were comments about his “gibberish” and how difficult his albums are to listen to. At one point, a few people co-signed that Asher Roth was more enjoyable to Mr. Dumile. Instead of getting my Flea on and cursing you fools out, I decided to take a more rational approach.

DOOM isn’t gibberish. Not even close. While his lines, when compiled, don’t result in a coherent song with one theme, but how much of Hip-Hop music does? And no, “bitches, hoes and dollars” don’t add up to a coherent theme. The fact is, much like Ghost’s Supreme Clientele, the depth is more so in the depth that can be unpacked from each individual line, since each is full of irony, comedy and ill rhyme scheme.

“Once sold an inbred skinhead a nigga joke
Plus a brand new chrome smoker with the trigger broke
I thought I told him firing pins were separate
He’ll find out later when he tries to go and rep it.”

That’s brilliance packed into a couple of lines. DOOM looks like the lowest of low assholes and redeems himself by duping the skinhead. It’s a whole story of irony and twisted humor in four bars. You don’t need a whole 16 for that — just a small pocket of intrigue and storytelling.

This causes the listener/reader to have to break conventions about the art form. By just using this non-conventional flow and subject matter, is as much a commentary on the trite 16 bars and hook formula that brings about cookie cutter music as DOOM’s non-traditional subject matter

And anyone that believes DOOM is incapable of creating a coherent and compelling story needs to check out his Viktor Vaughn Vaudeville Villain album. He has whole songs dedicated to time traveling crimes and robbing people with a bullet-less gun among other things.

Now, go back and re-listen. I won’t judge you for changing your mind.

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DOOM – “Gazillion Ear”

Previously Posted — DOOM – “Batty Boyz” |